Victor was confused by how Sharon reacted. She didn't even say goodbye to him before leaving. He thought that perhaps she was just surprised to see him in a brothel where people were flirting. He slapped his forehead, showing his frustration as he wasn't even able to explain himself to her.
Sharon ran through the bustling street of the city, her hands on her face, wiping her tears that wouldn't stop streaming. This was the worst day she ever had, looking for the man she loved and ending up seeing him with another woman.
"Why am I jealous anyway? He's not even my boyfriend, so I don't have the right to feel this way," Sharon reminded herself, but it didn't help ease the pain. She continued walking mindlessly on the street, without minding the cars that could almost hit her.
"What are you doing here?" Kwan asked in a mad tone when he finally saw his daughter in the street, acting like a traffic enforcer. "Have you lost your mind? I've been looking for you almost everywhere and here you are, trying to get yourself killed?"
"I'm sorry, Dad," Sharon apologized. She followed her father to his car and got inside.
Kwan drove back home. Even if his daughter wouldn't tell him about what she felt, he already understood it. He could see in her facial expression how sad she was, so instead of scolding her for running away from home and looking for that man, he just remained silent, as if he also felt the pain she was trying to hide.
"Sharon!" Rebecca exclaimed, seeing her daughter with her husband entering the mansion. She rushed towards Sharon and hugged her. "I'm glad you're okay."
"I'm sorry, Mom," Sharon apologized, hugging her mother. "I'm sorry, I've made you worry."
"Don't worry about it, darling," Rebecca replied. "Anyway, have you eaten already?"
"I'm not hungry, Mom. I want to go to bed," Sharon replied, but her stomach was saying the opposite. An awkward smile appeared on her face.
"Why won't we eat first before you go to bed?" Rebecca suggested, held her daughter's hand, and led her to the dining room where Bernadette was waiting for them.
Sharon was already expecting to receive some words from her grandma, so she cautiously walked towards her seat without making noise.
"It seems like everyone's here, so let's eat," Bernadette said, disappointed by how Sharon acted recently. She thought she was raised properly by her parents, but it seemed like she was wrong in thinking so.
Rebecca handed Sharon a golden plate, golden spoon, and golden fork and whispered that she should try to understand her grandmother because she was already widowed and people like her were often in a bad mood.
Sharon smiled at her mother's joke, but Bernadette looked at her with bombastic eyes, making her withdraw her smile and focus on her food. She realized that she didn't really need a man to be happy; just her family was already enough.
Kwan handed Sharon a glass of her favorite lemonade juice with a smile on his face and whispered that she shouldn't mind her grandmother because she just missed her husband. Sharon smiled again at her dad's joke. This time she wasn't able to hold back the grin as Bernadette stared at her with bombastic eyes as if she were doing it on purpose.
Bernadette wasn't really that mad at her granddaughter. Although she was disappointed by her actions, she still loved her as part of the family, and she'd do anything in her power to make her happy.
Sharon covered her mouth, and tears formed in her eyes. She had been a fool for ignoring her family, who were always there for her, no matter how bad she could get sometimes, just because of a man who wasn't even sure about her.
"So, we have talked about Lucille's wedding, and we decided to attend," Bernadette said. "You should pack your things up after eating so that we can catch the flight I have already arranged."
Sharon was surprised by their sudden flight to Paris, and she didn't even have an idea who Lucille was, but it seemed like she was important to them, so she decided to go with them, leaving everything behind.
Victor went back to his apartment early. Staying in the brothel was just a short break from his job. He has to finish his task first before celebrating. Spending all his money on virgin women would turn him into a beggar again.
Just as he lay down on his bed, his phone rang, so he stood up and answered the call. It was none other than but his anonymous client, and he already knew what their conversation would be about.
One week had already passed since the negotiation happened, and he only had one week left. He didn't expect that he'd be tempted by pleasure that he lost track of time. His client sent him the picture of his target, and he was surprised when he found out that it was Sharon's dad.
Victor sighed, feeling unlucky. He realized the reason why Sharon's dad was so strict and challenged him with guns. It was because he wasn't trusting just anyone, but now that he met him, it would be easier to finish his task. He was ready for anything like this, and no relationship could stop him from doing his job.
"I want you to finish it already," the man said, his voice firm. "If you can't finish it before the due date, you should say goodbye to this world already."
"Please stop threatening me, mister. I know what I am doing, and I'm telling you, I'll bring this man's head to you," Victor said confidently.
"Just make that sure, or you'll lose your head too," the man replied as a warning.
Victor hung up the call and breathed deeply. He still had no idea who his client was, but by the way he spoke, he knew that he wasn't some ordinary man; perhaps he had a lot of power and connections too.
"I'll just do it anyway," Victor said and prepared his equipment. He put them inside his backpack, went out from his apartment, and continued to the stable. He took Miles out and rode to Sharon's house.
When he reached the mansion, Victor noticed that the doors and windows were closed as if they were already expecting him to come. He climbed the gate to get inside and realized that there was no one there anymore.
"Did they escape already?" Victor asked himself. He went to the houses nearby to ask if they knew where the people who lived in Bernadette's house went.
"I heard that they are going to Paris to attend a wedding," the woman said, showing how good she was when it comes to gossiping.
"Are you sure with this, ma'am?" Victor asked.
"If you don't believe me, then you shouldn't have asked in the first place. They have just left a while ago; you might be able to catch up if you go already," the woman replied.
"Thanks for the information, ma'am." Victor immediately directed her horse to the nearest train station bound for an airport. He didn't expect that it would be this difficult to catch his targets.
"If I only didn't waste my time, perhaps it was already done," Victor whined. He rushed to the train station, leaving Miles in the field since he couldn't bring him. He knew it would be difficult to find and kill his targets once they blended with the crowd.